Are you feeling down, sad and pessimistic? Are you finding it difficult to muster up the energy you once had? Have you lost interest in activities you once enjoyed? Have your appetite and sleep become disturbed?
You may be dealing with some degree of depression. If so, you’re certainly not alone: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder.
Let’s take a further look at depression, its symptoms, and how counseling and therapy may help you learn the skills needed to ease your depressive symptoms and live life with more joy and vitality.
Sacramento-Therapist.com – Symptoms of Clinical Depression:
- Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood
- Sleeping too much or too little, middle of the night or early morning waking
- Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain
- Loss of pleasure and interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex
- Restlessness, irritability
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders)
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless
- Thoughts of suicide or death
According to the National Mental Health Association, if you have five or more of these symptoms for two weeks or more, you could have clinical depression and should see your doctor or a qualified mental health professional for help.
Sacramento Depression Treatment
I frequently work with individual adults and adolescents to help find solutions to feelings of depression. We’ll begin by having a dialogue about your experience. I’ll listen, ask questions to clarify, and together we’ll develop an action plan to help you find your way forward through depression to a better life.
By speaking your truth — being heard and validated — and experiencing the therapeutic support I provide, you’ll begin to find stronger ground to stand on.
I am experienced and skilled in identifying the many different types of depression — whether you’re dealing with postpartum depression, a chronic mild depression known as “dysthymia,” or bipolar disorder, ..I am here to offer support to help you understand the cloud that is surrounding your life.
Should we assess together that you are dealing with a more severe depression, which might indicate the need for medical evaluation….. I can guide you to get appropriate additional care and help. We’ll discuss all of your options so that you can be empowered with information to choose the best path for yourself.
Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation
The very step of taking action represents forward movement in the healing process. Call (916) 912-4777 in Sacramento for a free, 15-minute telephone consultation to discover how you can benefit from working with me on the issue of depression and any other issues that you may wish to address. I look forward to hearing from you.